Stephen Marley returns to Arcata Two generations of Marleys set to take the stage

Amid the massive venues you'd expect an eight-time Grammy Award winner to play -- in cities like Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles -- Bob and Rita Marley's second son will be taking the stage at the 600-capacity Arcata Theatre Lounge. People Productions owner Carol Bruno said there was nothing difficult about getting the reggae legend to return to Humboldt County.

"He always wants to come here," Bruno said.

In a previous interview, Stephen Marley explained that he's been coming to play music in Humboldt for decades, first with his siblings as a member of the Melody Makers in 1991, then numerous times to play Reggae on the River and, in recent years, as a solo artist to promote his work and that of his siblings.

"I've been coming there since I was, what, 15," Stephen Marley said. "It's like another home."

The performance will come as a part of an 18-date tour Stephen Marley kicked off Sept. 15 in Baltimore in advance of his soon-to-be released fourth solo album, "Revelation Part 2: The Fruit of Life," which is expected to hit stores some time this year.

The album is a much-anticipated follow up to the critically acclaimed 2010 release "Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life," which secured Stephen Marley his eighth Grammy award, more than any other reggae musician or Jamaican artist.

Stephen Marley said the foundation for his musical career was laid in early childhood, when he would sing with his iconic father and watch him work in the studio. At the age of 6, Stephen Marley and several of his siblings formed the group the Melody Makers, which, managed by Bob, quickly made a name for itself and found a poppy, upbeat sound.

It wasn't until more than 25 years later, however, that Stephen Marley would step out on his own with the release of "Mind Control," his first solo album, in 2007. But the work he had put in as a percussionist with the Melody Makers, and later as a Grammy award-winning producer on brother Damian's albums, was readily apparent on "Mind Control," which stayed atop the Billboard Reggae charts for more than a year and was hailed by critics as the best Marley album of his generation.

After releasing an acoustic version of "Mind Control" in 2008, Stephen Marley followed up with "Revelation Part 1" two years later. While "Mind Control" was praised as being remarkably varied -- with Latin, hip-hop and blues influences -- "Revelation Part 1" is a devoutly reggae offering.

In a previous interview, Stephen Marley said the soon-to-be released follow up is more of an eclectic offering, paying homage to all the musical genres that have influenced him -- and been influenced by reggae -- over the years.

Tickets for the Oct. 3 show -- which will see Stephen Marley take the stage with his 21-year-old son, Joseph -- are currently on sale at local outlets and online at www.peopleproductions.net. Tickets are expected to sell out.

"They are going quick," said Deorin Payne of Eureka's The Works, adding that he's seen Stephen Marley in the past and understands the appeal.

"He's got high energy. He's a great performer with a great voice and great songs. He's awesome."

For his part, Marley -- who is now coming off a sold-out European tour that saw him play stadiums and arenas in Munich, Paris, Madrid and elsewhere -- had made clear that the size of a venue or an audience makes no difference to him.

"You say it's a thousand people, but we always say a single straw can blind you, ya know?" he said. "So, it's the effect, it's not the number. A bullet is just this small, but the effect of it is great, you know what I mean? So, it makes no difference to us whether it's 100,000 or 500. Ya know? It's the Almighty's work and anywhere him send us, we're going, for deliver the message."